The F-86 Sabre – Royal Canadian Air Force: 1950

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) received its first F-86 Sabre jet fighters in August 1950. The Canadair factory in Cartierville, Quebec produced a total 1815 of the American-designed fighters from 9 August 1950 to 9 October 1958. The Canadian designation for the F-86 was the CL-13.

The RCAF equipped the following units with the CL-13 Sabre, which comprised the RCAF 1st Canadian Air Division in Europe:

RCAF Number 1 Fighter Wing: Squadrons 410, 439 and 441 located in 1951 at North Luffenham England but moved to Marville France in 1955

The Canadair factories also produced Sabres for other nations including the United States, Britain, South Africa, West Germany and Columbia. The CL-13 Sabre and CF-100 Canuck formed the main strength of the RCAF fighter squadrons from 1950 to 1961.